Technical Field
The present invention relates to an acoustic image generation apparatus capable of generating tomographic images of ultrasonic images, photoacoustic images, and the like, and a progress display method in generating an image using the apparatus.
Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, ultrasonic imaging is known as a method for obtaining an internal tomographic image of a subject in which an ultrasonic image is generated by projecting an ultrasonic wave onto a subject and detecting an ultrasonic wave reflected from the inside of the subject and a morphological tomographic image of the inside of the subject is obtained. In the mean time, development of systems for displaying not only a morphological image but also a functional tomographic image has been in progress in recent years in the field of subject examination. As one of such systems, a system that uses photoacoustic spectroscopy is known. In the photoacoustic spectroscopy, pulsed light having a predetermined wavelength (e.g., the wavelength of visible light, near infrared light, or intermediate infrared light) is projected onto a subject and a photoacoustic wave which is an elastic wave generated in the subject as a result of absorption of energy of the pulsed light by a particular substance is detected and the density of the particular substance is quantitatively measured. The particular substance in the subject is, for example, glucose or hemoglobin in the blood, or the like. The technology in which a photoacoustic wave is detected and a photoacoustic image is generated based on the detected signal in the manner described above is called photoacoustic imaging (PAT) or photoacoustic tomography (PAT).
As for the devices that generate acoustic images (ultrasonic images and photoacoustic images), development of devices equipped with a handheld ultrasonic probe having an ultrasonic transducer (and further a light outputting means in the case of photoacoustic imaging, such as an optical fiber) is conducted widely as described, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Nos. 2004-202260 and 2010-012295.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-202260 discloses a method in which three-dimensional ultrasonic image data are generated by detecting a state of motion of the probe when generating an ultrasonic image and obtaining an ultrasonic image signal at a predetermined interval based on the state of motion. This allows an ultrasonic image to be generated at regular intervals regardless of the scanning speed of the probe.
Further, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-012295 discloses a method in which pulsed laser light is guided to the distal end of the probe using a bundle fiber in which many thin silica optical fibers are bundled.